Kanto - Unlimited
by Crystar500
Summary: A rewrite of the Kanto storyline for a teen/young adult audience. Red, Leaf, and Blue are all chasing for the champion seat in Kanto - while Storm wishes to find her true purpose. Meanwhile, Kanto is in the midst of an ongoing battle between the militaristic NPF and insidious Team Rocket. Simultaneous with Hoenn-Unlimited.
1. Sorrow

The teal sleeveless vest she was wearing has become stained with the tears falling from the younger one's eyes. The sobbing of the younger girl echoed throughout the worn,wooden structure they called home. The younger girl's black hair drooped somewhat, almost like a wilted flower. "W-Why do you have to leave me?" The little girl said in her sweet, soft tone.

The older one hesitated. Her mouth hung open for a few moments before she closed it, still unsure what to say. She took her white hat off and sat it on the table beside her, her light brown hair falling gently past her shoulders. She took a long sigh and thought it over. The girl then crouched down to the younger one's level, clutching onto the young girl's shoulders. "I'm not leaving you..." She decided on to say finally, even though she knew that it wasn't totally true.

"But you are! You said so! You have to go to the lab today!" The younger one managed to say over her sobbing.

The brown-haired girl frowned and looked down at the floor. She took another sigh and looked up in the younger girl's eyes. "Look. This is an opportunity for us! Take a look around, huh? We're two girls without parents in an abandoned home! This is our chance. We can finally make something for ourselves! Maybe we can even start fixing up this old place..." She gave the young girl a smile, both to comfort her and out of relief of finding the right words to say.

The younger girl closed her eyes and sniffled. "O-Okay... but where will I stay? It's too scary to stay here alone... What if a Gastly gets in?"

The older one smiled at the younger's comment. "No Gastlys get in our home. Only Rattatas get in. As for where you'll stay... I made arrangements. Know the Oak girl?" She waited for the younger girl's response. Once the young girl nodded, she went on. "Well, you'll stay with her. She's really nice! She's pretty lonely since her grandfather is almost always working, and she makes tea, and...

The young girl cut her off. "So she's like you? Like a big sister?"

The older one thought for a moment. The younger one was right, but they weren't sisters by blood. That alone must prove how close they really were. "Uh... yeah. Exactly! You'll be fine there with her."

The little girl wiped away some of her tears. "Okay... I'll miss you."

The older girl couldn't contain it anymore. She wanted to look strong despite the situation, but the tears started falling down the side of her face. "Y-You be good now, okay? Don't you worry about me. Maybe you'll see me on TV someday." She said the TV thing as a joke mainly, and was glad it made her smile. "O-Okay?" She said, struggling to say it.

"The younger one sniffled again. "Okay." She said innocently, nodding.

"Oh! Look!" The older girl reached back into the bag hanging from her shoulders, searching through it with her hand. After a few moments, she pulled out a simple, shiny, red and white ball and held it up to the younger girl. "There! Take Nips. Now it'll be three of you... Daisy, Nips, and you." She had to blink back a few more tears after saying those words.

"Okay... But then you won't have anyone with you..." The little girl took the ball and hooked it onto her jeans belt loop.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'll get a new friend from the lab in a few minutes anyway, okay?" The older one said. She widened her eyes when she realized she talked about the lab. Her eyes darted over to the watch on her wrist. "Oh no! I'm late! Hopefully they're not all gone." She pulled the younger one close in an embrace, and kissed her on the forehead. "Get your things now. I have to go..."

* * *

_Welcome to Kanto! This is just the sneak peek/preview of a great adventure to come!_


	2. Beginnings

[Red]

Red was not one for talking. He never was. In school, he was always very quiet and didn't raise his hand to answer questions unless he was called on. At the age of seven, his mother brought him into therapy to try to figure out why he wouldn't talk.

"Talk!" She'd say. "For me, Red! Just talk!"

It'd have only minimal effect. Red would respond to yes or no questions, with well, "yes" and "no". Other things he'd respond to, but that was it. His mother was grateful for at least a little bit of speech from her son, although she still would wonder what she did wrong as a parent. Some of her once beautiful, shiny black hair was starting to turn gray over the matter.

Red, however, felt that his mother was getting the wrong idea. He loved his mother very much. He did laugh, which brung a smile to his mother's face at times. They would play board games or card games on Friday nights. Those were times where he felt the most comfortable.

His friend and childhood rival, Blue, wasn't the type who enjoyed board games as much. Blue was into a lot of sports. Blue played basketball and soccer and football and every other sport that was in existence. Despite that, Blue always felt pity on Red and visited him from time to time to play things Red liked. It was almost like a friend supporting a depressed friend who had just went through a break-up. Blue would chat away with jokes he came up with or taunts during board games they went head to head in, while Red would just sit there - still not talking.

So that faithful day when Red's mother called for him from downstairs to remind him of the big day, he didn't say anything as usual. He had already dressed in his new red trainer's vest (With matching hat, of course.) and gotten himself ready hours before, even taking the spare potion his mother had bought him the week before out of his PC. He ran his hand over the NES console on the floor beside his TV, the wires plugged in sloppily. (Blue had connected it for him.) Red knew he wouldn't be seeing it for a while. With a sigh, he stood upright and made his way to the stairs. That small moment made him feel just a bit more mature.

The wooden staircase creaked as he made his way down. The first floor was an area set up much like other single-child homes in Kanto. The living room and kitchen were combined into one room, although with no sofa present. The door in the back led on to his mother's bedroom. Windows, too, of course, let in light from outside at their spots on the front and right sides of their home.

On the TV, a movie was playing. Red immediately recognized it as one of his mother's pastimes. When she wanted to relax, she'd just turn on the TV and search for a good, but more often settling for crappy, movie. The glimpse he got of this one in particular was of four boys walking down railroad tracks.

"All boys leave home eventually. The TV said so." His mother said, sounding as if she was thinking aloud. Red noticed this was another problem of his mother's. She took everything on TV to be very literal and was not exposed much to what actually existed. There wasn't much he could do to help, though. His mother was a housewife without a husband. Instead of wondering too much about the movie, he took it as a symbol that he should go too.

"Oh, and Professor Oak was looking for you earlier. Please be careful, honey." His mother added. Red tipped his hat a bit to reply. He wouldn't say anything, of course, so he made his way through the front door.

Outside was shining and sunny, like almost any other day in Pallet Town. It could be seen by just looking at this town that there was almost no drama. The town was quiet, and simple. There were just four houses in town. The "Red" household which was his own, the "Oak" household where his friend Blue lived with his sister and grandfather, then the "Trent" home with the couple who couldn't have kids, and finally the "Green" household, which was mysteriously quiet on a daily basis.

The Green home was at the edge of town, on the left side of the river leading to the ocean. It was parallel to the Trent home, but not even the Trent couple could know what went on with the residents there.

What everyone did know about the Green home was the two young girls who lived there. One was older, one was younger. There were rumors the younger one was adopted, since her skin color was a darker tone than the older one's. Usually these rumors were shot down by the fact that they never saw the parents of the two, so they couldn't just make assumptions. But, whenever it was brung up when people hung out in the lab or by the flower garden, everyone would lean in and listen in interest.

"I think I saw a light turn on in there last night!" Someone would say.

Others would be quick to correct. "Well of course there would be! How would they be able to see?"

The conversation would go on for hours if they were chatting by the lab. Chatting by the flower garden would usually end when the younger of the Greens came to the garden to play with the flowers, along with her little sign. The ones conversing would disperse at that point. The older Green girl was much more elusive, however, and would not be seen much around town, unless she was walking to school in Viridian with a Rattata by her side.

Red had met the girls from the Green house before at school. School was just a short walk away in Viridian City. He wouldn't talk to them, though. It's how most kids were. Boys stay with boys. Girls stay with girls. Until high school or junior high, at least. The older girl looked to be like the more outgoing one, while the youngest seemed to be very shy. That was what he took from observing them, at least.

Red walked to the south area of town. Ryan Trent was hanging around the lab as always, taking in the sunshine. "Hey there, Red!" He said with a wave. "Technology is great these days, you know? You can store Pokemon as data in PCs now!" Trent said in amazement. Red only smiled. It wasn't news to him. He'd known that for a while now. The fact adults found technology so amazing was amusing to him. Ignoring Trent, Red waltzed into the lab.

At the end of the lab, Blue's head perked up. "Oh, it's just you, Red." He frowned and crossed his arms. Blue was waiting so impatiently for his grandfather that he assumed every opening of the lab's front doors would be the person he was waiting for. He was wearing a black shirt, which with all the waiting, made him sweat. Seeing just Red walk in only added insult to injury. "Gramps isn't around, Red." Blue said with a sigh.

Red took a look around. White tiled floors and shiny white painted walls surrounded him. The lab aides were working away at computers and machines in the front section of the lab. Bookshelves lined with textbooks and research findings separated the front section from the back section. The back section that Blue stood in had machines lining the walls. On the desk to the right three PokeBalls were lined up neatly. Red smiled when seeing this, knowing that there new careers in training were sitting there.

With nothing else to do, Red left the lab. Assuming the professor had gone to visit Viridian City, Red began walking out of the town. He had only made it a few feet before being stopped by a voice shouting at him from behind. "Hey, wait! Don't go out!" The voice called.

Red immediately froze in his spot and swung around to see Professor Oak jogging (Or trying to, at least..) towards him. Taking a few breaths in relief once he finally got to Red, Oak spoke again. "There's wild Pokemon out there! You need your own Pokemon to be safe!" The old man seemed to think for a few moments. "I know! Here, come with me!" Oak motioned for Red to follow him.

Red realized that the old man was probably losing his memory. Red was supposed to go see him for a Pokemon to start his adventure. The man had forgotten already! What a shame, Red thought.

They walked into the lab and Blue perked his head up once again. They walked over to the end of the room. Red stood beside Blue as the professor stood in front of the two, ready to explain things. "Gramps! You had me waiting here!" Blue complained to his grandfather, crossing his arms.

"Oh? Blue?" The professor seemed to forget once again. Red and Blue noticed this as a common theme with the professor. Red wondered how Blue dealt with this on a daily basis. "Oh, that's right! I told you to come here! Just wait." His attention turned to Red. "Now, Red. On the table there are three PokeBalls with Pokemon. Pick one for yourself!"

As Red walked over to the table from before, Blue started complaining once again. "Hey, gramps! What about me?" Blue shouted. Red only smiled at Blue's complaining. It was something he adored about his childhood friend and rival. Some things would set Blue off, and he'd "just go", as Red liked to call it in his head.

"Be patient, Blue. You get to choose one too!" Blue's grandfather said. Blue frowned and kept his arms crossed, staring at the floor. Saying anymore would be pointless. He knew his grandfather all too well. Red, meanwhile, seemed to have made up his mind on a Pokemon. He picked the middle PokeBall up, rolling it in his palm. He stared at the shiny red coat on it that reflected the ceiling light. "That's Charmander, a Fire Pokemon! You should raise it patiently." The professor said, noticing Red's choice. Red rolled the ball in his palm a bit more in thought before giving a nod and hooking it to his belt.

Blue, noticing it was his turn, hurried over to the table with only two PokeBalls left. "Hmm..." Blue mumbled in thought. He was doing it almost for no reason. He already made up his mind. Water beats fire. Blue wanted to be better than Red. "I'll take this one then!" Blue exclaimed, picking up the ball on the far right of the table.

Red smiled and began walking out the lab again. He can finally start his journey through Kanto as he dreamed. He seemed to space out until Blue tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey! Let's try out our new Pokemon! Come on Red, I'll take you on!"

[Leaf]

"Late, late, late! Why now?" Leaf said to herself as she ran towards the lab. Running to the lab almost got her hit by the front doors as they swung open and a boy in red walked out. The two exchanged looks for a few moments, with their eyes staring into each other's. "Oh... Sorry." Leaf finally said. But she was assuming that this was a boy who talked, but it wasn't one. Red stared a few more moments before walking off. Leaf was about to step into the lab, but waiting for another boy in a black shirt to walk out first.

"Sorry about my friend." Blue rolled his eyes. "He doesn't talk much. And the fact you're a girl makes it worse, I guess. Now, excuse me, but I'm on my way to becoming Champion!" Blue stormed off.

"This town is so weird..." Leaf muttered to herself, running inside the lab to Professor Oak. Leaf stood in front of the Professor, looking up at him. "Oh, professor! Sorry I'm late! I was caught up in something! Is there any Pokemon left?"

Professor Oak smiled. "There's only one left. You are lucky, however. There's another girl who's late to get here. She could've gotten here before you." Oak motioned to the table on the side of the room with only one single PokeBall sitting on the left side of the table.

Leaf walked over and clutched the PokeBall in her hand tightly. "Which is this one?" She asked, glancing over at the professor.

"Oh well, Bulbasaur. A grass type Pokemon." Oak replied.

Leaf nodded. "How nice. I always thought I was fit for a Grass type Pokemon." She smiled and hooked the PokeBall to her skirt's belt. She felt like this was meant for her. Having a Bulbasaur "felt right". For the moment it did, at least. "I must be off now. Lots of ground I need to cover."

"Before you go, there's a device here you should take along with you." Oak said, stopping Leaf's walk out.

"What device would that be?" She asked. Leaf walked back over to stand in front of the Professor.

The Professor turned for a moment and took the device from the desk behind him. When he turned to her again, he was holding it out to her. "Here you go. You're very own Pokedex."

The device was about the size of a small novel. It seemed to be a custom color, since Leaf could notice devices of the same kind on the desk in different colors. "Pokedex... What does it do?"

"It records data on any Pokemon you've seen or caught. It's like a high-tech encyclopedia!" Oak explained. "I used to want to fill that old thing up when I was younger, but I'm too old for that now. I can't get it done now."

Leaf nodded. "I'll try my best." She said it rather casually as she put the device in her bag. She didn't want to sound rude by saying her true intentions. She would never use this device for any reason. One thing she learned growing up, however, is that free things are always good to have. Leaf walked out of the lab. "They're probably long gone now." Leaf muttered to herself with a sigh. She'd seen the two at school a lot. She didn't know them, but it'd be nice to travel in numbers. Rubbing her forehead, she let her brand new Pokemon out on the ground beside her. "At least I got you to keep me company, right?" She smiled at the little grass creature. The Bulbasaur growled happily. Leaf smiled. "Let's leave this town."

[Blue]

"Okay, Red. You head to the store and I'm going to go train. This is where we split up, alright? Don't forget I'm racing you! Smell ya later now!" Blue said to his childhood friend and rival as they stood at the entrance of Viridian City. Blue ran westward, to Route 22. "The Pokemon League is in this direction, isn't it? It is, right?" He was asking the Squirtle that hung onto his shoulder. The Squirtle only made a sound of approval. Blue's running along the brick road was the only sound, besides the calls of Pokemon native to the grassy route.

"I believe in ourselves, Squirtle. Gramps never pays us attention, but we'll show him. We'll become champions... Right now!" Blue shouted triumphantly. Blue stopped at the front entrance of the Pokemon league. The guard there held out his hand. "Please show proof you have received the Boulder Badge."

"Badge?! What's that?" Blue gave the guard a look of confusion.

The guard, dressed in his standard navy blue uniform, could tell Blue was a new trainer. He sighed. "You need badges from all eight gyms in order to challenge the Pokemon league."

Blue slapped his forehead. "Darn! I knew that!" As he turned to walk away, he noticed a girl in a beige sunhat and a yellow outfit was watching their conversation. She looked almost like a farmer. She took her sunhat off and threw her blonde hair out of her face. "You need badges... For the league?" She asked Blue.

Blue hadn't gotten over it. "Yeah, you need eight! I knew that the whole time and now I look like an idiot! Excuse me." Blue rambled, walking past the girl. He went back down the route and immediately bumped into Red. "Do you believe that, Red? You need badges, eight of them, in order to challenge the league!" Blue rambled again. Red gave him a blank stare. "I know, right?" Blue added after Red didn't say anything. He knew that girl was around somewhere, and didn't want to look as if he was talking to a wall.

"Anyway, show me how much you've trained!" Blue and Red both went ten feet apart from each other, releasing their Pokemon. A Pidgey for Blue, and a Rattata for Red. "Tackle!" Blue called out. Rattata was faster, and tackled the Pidgey first. Pidgey did the same soon after. "So you caught a Rattata, huh? How do you expect to fly anywhere when you need it late in your journey?" It was a tone of concern, not mocking, coming from Blue. Red knew what he was doing, though. Rattata hit again.

Critical hit. Blue's Pidgey fainted. "Alright. No more games." Blue let out his Squirtle. "Hit it with a Tackle!" He shouted as an order to his Pokemon. Squirtle still wasn't faster, and got hit by Rattata first. Rattata took the hit from Squirtle and could barely hang on. Red simply returned it to it's ball. Blue found it somewhat creepy that Red's Pokemon didn't need to hear orders to attack. It was like he communicated through telepathy, or something.

Red's Charmander was sent out. "You do know this is a Water type, right? Blue asked, crossing his arms. Squirtle hadn't any water moves yet, so his tease was in vain. "Alright, Squirtle! Tackle him!" Blue called out. Squirtle tackled Charmander, and Charmander returned with a Scratch. Red was winning and Blue knew it. Blue looked panicked. "Again!"

Squirtle had gone first, but fell to the scratch Charmander had retaliated with. "Darn! You win!" Blue exclaimed, returning Squirtle to it's ball. Red only smiled and returned Charmander to it's own ball. "Oh, don't look so smug!" Blue said, annoyed. He tried to change the subject to get his mind off of it. "Remember when Gramps called me as we were walking up the route? You should go to the lab and see what he wants. I'll make my way there in a few minutes."

Red tipped his hat and walked off to the east, off the route. Blue had his hands on his waist, sighing. "He's pretty strong, isn't he?" A female voice said from behind him. Blue turned to see the girl from earlier. She had her hat off now, and her blonde hair fell into a ponytail. Blue was much taller, so her blue eyes were staring up into his own.

"For now. I'm going to train and become the best trainer I can be." He replied. The way he stood... It was intriguing for her. Although he lost, he had a fiery spirit that was admirable, and she liked it.

"I think you will beat him someday. If it's not in battling, definitely in something else. I saw the whole thing, actually. I liked how you fought." She smiled.

Blue frowned. "I hope it is battling. Thank you, anyway... What's your name? I don't remember meeting you before. You used to go to school with us, right?"

The girl nodded, her ponytail bouncing slightly when she nodded. "Yes. I was in the same class as you and that other boy." She held her hand out. "Storm."

Blue tilted his hand in curiousness, but took her hand and shook it. "Blue... That's an interesting name." He gave a smile after he said it. The two both shared their smile and stare down for a few moments before something beeped in Blue's pocket. "Oh! I got to be heading away now! Maybe I'll catch ya later!" Blue gave the girl a wave as he hurried off.

[Red]

Red stood silently in front of Professor Oak. He watched intently as Oak slit the tape that sealed the parcel together with one of his keys. Once done, Oak set the key on the desk behind him and opened the small box. "Ah!" Oak said happily. "It's the custom Poke Ball!" Oak held up one of the tiny red and white devices. "I ordered a dozen of these. These custom balls have higher catch rates than a normal Poke Ball."

The front doors of the lab swung open. "Gramps! What did you call me for?" Blue said as he walked in. He walked over and stood beside Red. Blue gave Red a bump in the side with his elbow. "I got something to tell you!" He whispered. "Not now, though." Despite Blue's antics in the past, Red was interested. Anyone his age was always interested in hearing a secret.

"Oh, right! I called you here, Blue!" Oak said, holding up a finger when he recollected the memory. Blue rolled his eyes and Red held in a chuckle. Oak turned and grabbed two small devices from the desk behind him. One blue, and one red. He handed each you trainer their respective colors. Blue stared down at the device, running his hands over the shiny blue coloring. "What's it do?"

Oak explained. "It's called a Pokedex. It records data on any Pokemon you've seen or caught. You need to catch a Pokemon, however, to get full data on it. It's like a high-tech encyclopedia! Haha!" Oak laughed, mostly because it was the second time he got to use the line.

Blue nodded. "How are we supposed to catch them without Poke Balls?" He looked up at his grandfather as he stuffed the device in his front pants pocket.

Oak held out the parcel he had just received. "Here! Take these with you. Six for each of you." Red and Blue both took six Poke Balls from the box. Red stuffed them in his bag. Blue pressed the button on the devices to shrink them down. He then put them in the opposite pocket he put the Pokedex in. "My dream used to be to make a encyclopedia of all the Pokemon in the world... But I'm too old now. I can't get the job done. You boys get going now! This is a great undertaking in Pokemon history!"

"Sorry to say this, Red, but you won't be necessary for this. You want to become a champion, anyway, right?" Blue said, bumping Red with his elbow again. "Haha! I'll tell sister to give me a town map so I know where to go. I'll tell her not to lend you one!" Blue joked. "We should go see her now. As we walk, I'll tell you what I wanted to share." Red only stared at his friend and nodded.

"Great!" Blue and Red walked out together. Red smiled. Times spent with Blue were always interesting and fun to him. Blue would crack jokes, or tell stories that would leave him interested for more tales. "Remember when you left after our battle?" Blue asked. The grass crunched beneath them with each step they took.

Red nodded in reply.

"There was this girl who watched the entire thing!" Blue said. This made Red raise his eyebrows. "She was really pretty... I got lost in her eyes for a few moments." Blue's tone got lower as he thought about it. Red just rolled his eyes. "Serious! Don't roll your eyes!"

Red only shook his head at his friend. He held the door open of the Oak household, letting them both inside. Inside, an older girl and a younger girl were having tea together. "Hello there, boys!" The older one said, holding up her cup.

Blue grinned and walked over, giving the older one an embrace. "Good to see you, sis. We need some maps, Daisy. I think we have some on the shelf."

Daisy Oak rose from her seat, setting her tea down on the table. She had been sitting across from the younger girl, who was darker in tone. Daisy patted the folds that had formed in her light green dress and nodded. "I'll check." She said, walking over to the shelf in the corner of the room.

Red was eyeing the younger girl. He tapped Blue's shoulder. When Blue looked at him, he glanced over to the girl and then at Blue, signaling with his eyes. Blue caught on. "That's the young Green girl that plays with the signs..." He whispered. Red nodded in response. They both had looks for surprise.

Daisy snapped them out of it. "Here you both go." She said, holding up the two folded maps. "Is something wrong?" She asked, with a concern look on her face. Red and Blue both changed their face immediately. "Nothing, sis." Blue said, taking the map. Red took his own and out it away. "Well, okay!" Daisy smiled. "You two be careful now!"

After giving his regards, Blue led Red outside. "Well, Red. This is where we part ways for now, buddy." Blue patted Red's shoulder. "I'll be competing against you now!"

Red watched as Blue ran off. He smiled. He knew that making his way to the league was shaping up to be a fun adventure.


	3. Learning

[Storm]

The pages of the book eloquently discussed volumes to the depth of Pokemon training. This was what the youthful, intelligent, Storm kept in mind while extensively reading through the Standard Edition of the Kanto Trainer's School textbook. She comfortably esconced upon a chair, the birch wood of it only somewhat uncomfortable. Around her, was the classroom interior fold, which showcased the small school's current state of reticent song. The teacher was not present at the moment, and only a few students sat excogitating in the back. As a seal and avatar of her brain, Storm sat in a desk in the front row.

Upon the lengthy chalkboard that stretched along the front wall falling in perusal glances, stared Storm down, were basic status conditions written in chalk. In the middle of this chalkboard, and behind the teacher's desk, a small television rested upon a rolling cart, plugged into an outlet just below the chalkboard. Beneath the television, on a small shelf, was a VCR, waiting to be employed.

Startling Storm from her studying, was a gentle tap on her shoulder, followed by the familiar male voice she was introduced to not long prior. "What are you doing?" The young male asked, rather casual in his tone.

Storm grinned, radiant in joy to hear his voice once again. "Hello again, Blue." She replied, looking to her left and staring up at him, better positioning herself to face in his direction. "Well, I was just in the middle of preparing for my journey. Care to join me?" She asked with a gleam of happiness, waving a hand towards the empty chair beside her.

"Of course!" Blue exclaimed, smiling himself. "It's Storm, right?" He asked, keeping his tone of causality. Afraid he got her name wrong, he waltzed over to the television set, fidgeting with the buttons to turn it on… Procrastination is the thief of time, collar the teen.

Storm frowned slightly. "Yeah…" Disappointed in the fact that her name escaped Blue's mind, Storm gave a soft sigh. Holstering the pencil she had on the desk above her ear, she sat up in her seat.

Blue glanced back at her briefly before going back to work on getting the television relentlessly toiling. "What's your sister's name? Rain?" Blue only chuckled briefly, ashamed soon after that he still failed to make marvelous impressions on Storm. "Sorry, I'll quickly cease."

Storm giggled anyway, shaking her head. "I don't have any siblings." She then rested a fingered palm under her chin, her elbow on the desk as she leaned forward slightly. "Can you get that thing working?" She added, subtly changing the subject, her gleam of joy returning.

Blue blinked a few times at the imagination of being a lone child. He never would know, for he recalled distinctly having his sister Daisy since the genesis of youth. Blue was lost in a moment of thought, pondering if that was the reason why his friend Red was the persona he instinctually knew. He shook his head, recollecting his brain to different thoughts. "Yeah, of course. Just truly need to plug in these…" Blue replied, tugging a triple set of component wires, plugging them into the front of the T.V. He then pressed a button on both the T.V. and VCR, before taking the tape that rested upon the top of the stack beside the VCR. "Let's behold what this has to offer, I guess." Blue assuredly declared, before shoving the tape into the appropriate VCR slot, somewhat roughly. He took a few steps back, the tape commencing to play on the T.V. as he did so, to confirm his work. Blue laughed with glee, jogging back to Storm's desk to comfortably sit beside her.

Storm's eyes followed Blue when he came to sit beside her. She grinned happily. "Looks like you're good with that kind of stuff." She said, with Blue only shrugging in response, returning her smile.

Both of the youthful trainers turned their attention to the screen. The students in the back of the classroom perked their heads up as well. Upon the screen was a black and white title card, labeled as "Adrianne Galaxia's Training Session."

"Who's that?" Blue piped up, questioning the abject appellation aloud.

"She used to be a gym leader. She eagerly began her position back in 1946 and retired in 1998." Storm pedantically answered without looking at Blue, for she was too captivated by the screen itself.

The screen played a fast piano tune, fitting for the title screen's listed date of 1951. Then the host herself arrived on the screen. She herself was in black and white. Even then, her beauty was prevalent through her features, most notably her vibrant luminous windows. She donned a long dress relevant to the fifties, puffy in contained expanses. "Hello!" She cheerfully grinned at the camera, running a hand through her lengthy, silky, hair. "My name is Adrianne Galaxia, Pewter City gym leader. You may call me Misses Adrianne if you wish. Today, we'll discuss the mysterious and elusive Fairy typing. There are many typings a Pokemon and it's rapidly moves can have, as we all know. There are even people who don't know about Fairy Pokemon due to it's rarity!" Adrianne selflessly gave a grin before doing a quick twirl, where she launched a PokeBall into the air. The audio of the recording was coincidentally met with intense static upon the Gardevoir's release, due to the age of the original equipment used to make the film. The Gardevoir floated gracefully down to stand beside her.

"Now, Pokemon like Gardevoir here are Fairy type by nature, yet people don't know!" Adrianne's Gardevoir lucidly appeared to laugh slightly at this statement, to which Adrianne laughed as well. "Fairy types are usually adorable too! Let's confabulate about their defensive use, though. How's that sound, Gardevoir?" Adrianne's Gardevoir smiled and nodded her approval.

It was here where the audio skipped a few beats, showing the original recording's age. Adrianne's voice had a slight audio twist to it, following up on 1951's available technology when it came to recording. Adrianne playfully clapped her hands together. "Now! Fairy is one of the best defensive types out there! It's rare to find someone who knows about Fairy types, so use that to your advantage. Fairy also has traits to it that no other type may offer! It can resist the powerful Fighting types, the sinister, gloomy, Dark types, and even the pestering Bug types."

Adrianne clearly appeared to be flamboyant with her motions as she eloquently explained, emanating her positive attitude onto Storm and Blue. "Hastily having trouble with dragons? Not with Fairy types, you emphatically won't! Fairy types are immune to the fearsome Dragon type. Keep in mind, however, that they are weak to deadly Poison as well as sturdy Steel types. Those are scary." Adrianne frowned at that fact for a brief ecstatic instant.

Her mood seemed to be indeficatable. "Remember, before we go, that Fairy types tend to have a high Special Defense stat, which can make them burly walls for your team. You can find out a Pokemon's stats by visiting a professor."

Adrianne paused a moment before elegantly articulating again, seemingly for a breath. "That's it for this lesson! Please do not hesitate to come back next time, where we of a certain disposition cover the offensive side to Fairy types." Adrianne grinned and waved to the camera. The piano beat played once more, before the tape quickly ceased and went to a black screen once again. Blue jumped up from his seat to turn the T.V. off.

Storm was smiling, unable to grasp how much she enjoyed the informational clip. "She appeared like a wonderful person to be around." Storm assuredly declared, her eyes watching Blue intently as he went back over to fidget with the VCR.

Blue pulled the tape out of the VCR, placing it back where it was prior. He then turned to Storm, mightily standing by the desk. "Yeah, I was really into it! I figured that I was going to fall asleep when she first started, but she really grasped my attention." Blue then thought an ecstatic instant. "Where exactly did she say she was from?"

"Pewter City. Why?" Storm answered, selflessly giving her friend a curious look.

"I think the museum over in Pewter is named after her." Blue wagged a finger, as if he was unsure of the thought.

Storm's luminous windows lit up in excitement. "Really? Do you want to go? I'm sure it'll be fun." Excitement made itself known within her voice's tone, paired with her facial expression.

Blue gleamed as well, sharing her enthusiasm. "Come on then! Let's not waste anymore time."

And thus when they exited the school, Storm graced herself with an expression much like Adrianne's, all those years ago. A sense of emanating grace from the fifties.

[Leaf]

The Virdian Forest was a winding, twisting path for early trainers to traverse. The path had several forks, where the trail would lead to dead-ends. Luckily for the young trainers that passed through here, the forest was filled with lackluster Pokemon when it came to attacking power. This was what the youthful and deductive Leaf kept in mind, upon reaching one of these dead-ends in question. She stomped her foot angrily on the grass a moment, disappointed in herself for falling into the trap of the forest's menacing twisting turns. She crossed her arms and sighed, scanning the area.

Around her was the way she came, of course. In front of her was lusciously green tall grass, vibrant in nature's prime of life. The trees that blocked out beaming sunlight above shared this notion, giving off the impression that the forest was striving. Striving it indeed was, for the natural sense of it enticed Leaf's senses, giving her the strange sensation of feeling lost in her own home.

Across the way, in front of Leaf, was a figure roaming among the tall grass, searching through it rather silently, with the only noises made being the soft rustling of the grass whenever the figure stepped through. With her arms still crossed in a somewhat sassy stance, Leaf analyzed this figure a few moments before she recalled the origin of it, piecing together that this figure was indeed the young male peer she briefly made eye contact with earlier. The boy in red, who refused to speak to her.

The thought of being ignored, combined with her current loathsome scenario caused her to feel a sense of angst towards this peer of hers. She recalled the fact that she went to school with him, as well, although the boy's name still escaped her brain. "Hey, buddy! Looking for your voice in there?" She shouted out, heckling the young man. Although the young Leaf was not a spiteful nor arrogant person, she was one of built-up tension, due to years of living on her own and caring for a younger household member. The stress of which should never be burdened on someone her age.

Startling Leaf slightly, the young male trainer came walking out of the grass, adjusting his hat slightly as he came into Leaf's view. His expression was blank, with a vague showcase to his current emotions. On his shoulder, a young Pikachu sat comfortably, staring forward at Leaf with its ears perked up.

Leaf kept her arms crossed for a few deafening moments, her bold brown eyes scanning over this trainer. She then stepped closer, until she was about a foot away. "I saw you back in Pallet with your friend. Do you remember? We went to the same school together too." Leaf looked up at the trainer's blank, sagacious eyes of wonder, which instilled intimidation to a certain point within her soul, rattling her to the core.

The other trainer simply held his stare, which was only broken when the Pikachu on his shoulder playfully nibbled at his jacket. He then ran his fingers gently on the Pikachu's brow, petting it softly before turning his view back to Leaf's eyes.

Leaf would have to admit to her consciousness that she indeed was fearful of this trainer. The way he stared her down caused the sense of uneasiness to occur within her body. Yet, Leaf pressed on to probe this trainer for info. "Can you talk? It's okay if you can't... I just don't like to be ignored by people."

It was here when the trainer startled Leaf, making her raise her eyebrows in surprise. The trainer had opened his mouth, as if he was about to speak, but instead closed it once again. He looked down at the green grassy ground, with a look of shame to a point. The Pikachu on his shoulder tugged at his collar gently, to lift his head back up hopefully.

Upon this sign of emotion, Leaf's fears were flattened, formulated into her current sense of endearment. She slipped her hand slowly under the trainer's jaw, gently raising his chin up to look in her eyes once again. Leaf kept a reassuring smile across her lips for him to see. "It's alright... I understand... To some level. Can you at least show me your name?" With this question, she released her grip on his chin, taking a step back.

The trainer gave a nod, to Leaf's glee. He reached within the interior pocket of his red training jacket and dug for a few moments. He fished out a small plastic card, with a red glossy finish across it. He tossed it into the air gently, letting it land in his palm. He then held his palm forward, letting Leaf view it.

Despite both of the young trainers knowing that the card toss was only for show, Leaf had to admit she was moderately impressed by it, for the card had landed facing her. She leaned forward somewhat, to read off the front of it. "Red... Okay. That's a nice name. Very old-fashioned name. It must mean you're destined for great things." Leaf gleefully grinned, for she sought out to make this trainer forget her rude introduction.

The side of Red's mouth seemed to slightly smile for a brief moment, before returning to his neutral expression. He slid the trainer's card back into the pocket it came from, where it belonged. He rested his stare on her eyes once again. Through his body language, it was able to be deduced to Leaf that Red had noticeably became more comfortable, with the way his shoulders didn't tense up as much, and the gleaming sense to his luminous windows of eyes.

"I'm Leaf. Pleased to meet you, Red." Leaf stated, holding her hand outwards in a polite manner, ready to accept a handshake. Although she expected Red to decline the shake and opt to stare her down instead, she was pleasantly surprised when he accepted her hand, shaking it lightly. Grinning with joy that she had made a new friend somewhat, Leaf soon stammered for something else to say. Her eyes grazed across Red's exterior for a talking point. She finally rested her view on Red's Pikachu, albeit after a few awkward moments of silence. She turned her eyes back on Red's. "Where'd you find this little guy? Did you catch him?"

Red simply shook his head in response to the question. He petted the Pikachu lightly on the head, whom of which nuzzled against him gently. He left it up to Leaf to guess how he acquired the Pikachu exactly.

Leaf was puzzled on how Red could have gotten this Pikachu without catching it. It seemed very close to him, as well. Perhaps this trainer she just introduced herself to was actually gifted in some strange way, a notion that made Leaf more interested into the mysteries behind Red. Leaf thought that it may be in her best interests to hang around Red, to see what wonderful mysteries his personality had to behold. "Well, he sure is adorable. Would you happen to know the way out of the forest?" Leaf gave a gentle smile, crossing her arms again.

Red did another brief, slight smile once more. He gave a nod to Leaf, motioning with his hand to signal that she should follow him. He swiftly and hastily began walking, assuming that Leaf would follow.

Leaf hesitated a moment, staring at the PokeBall logo on Red's jacket in awe before quickly catching up to him. For in that brief moment, she was able to look past Red's youth, and notice the burning heart of a future champion's determined drive for success, a vibrant showcase - much like the leaves of a forest.


	4. Glory

[Red]

Red stood looking at the whiteboard for a long while. The Pewter City Museum had a special place in it's heart for history - even until this day. Although the many fossils and artifacts on display were a staple of that, Red wished to show appreciation for the town's former gym leader instead, Adrianne Galaxia. The museum was rather quiet at the moment, allowing Red to stare at the homages and tributes written upon the board - along with the plaque beside the board that detailed Adrianne's life and history.

Strolling over, Leaf took her place beside Red. "What are you checking out over here?" She questioned. She knew by now that she wasn't going to hear an answer from Red, instead looking over the whiteboard herself. Leaf kept her smile, however - rather accustomed to the silence from her friend. It was an uncanny friendship, where one friend would do all of the speech as the other barely emotes. Despite this, they enjoyed being around one another thus far. Leaf leaned forward, examining the whiteboard further. "Oh… looks like people are tributing Adrianne Galaxia here. That scientist… person…" She began to say, struggling to remember the man's proper title. "You know, the one by the Kabutops exhibit? He was telling me that Adrianne is the only gym leader in Kanto's history to use the rare Fairy type as her specialty. To this day, the Fairy type is seldom-understood by Kanto scientists – even Professor Oak! At least… that's what he told me…" Leaf explained eloquently, giving a slight laugh afterwards. She glanced towards Red, hoping he'd share the laugh himself.

Leaf was relieved to find that Red chuckled along with her – setting her at ease to speak further. Leaf had learned that Red wasn't hard to humor, once she figured out his tastes when it came to finding things humorous. Trying to trigger this was something that pleased her greatly when it finally occurred.

"Well, why don't you write something on the board then, Red?" Leaf looked around the board briefly for a few moments before she finally found a black marker resting in a little holster at the bottom of the board. She held the marker up. "Here. Write something for her, won't you? Adrianne still inspires many trainers today. She had a lot of influence on the youth of Kanto."

Red gave the girl a smile and a nod before taking the marker from her. He faced the board in a somewhat somber manner, as if he recalled something bothersome in his brief hearkening of the past. He hesitated a moment before uncapping the marker and putting a statement upon the board in writing. "If there was no Miss Adrianne, there would be no me." Red wrote out, proceeding to sign his name in script beneath the statement. He slowly took a step back and stared at the words, as he capped the marker.

Leaf leaned in and looked at the statement up close. She smiled brightly, glancing at Red. She motioned for him to give her the marker, with Red not hesitating to do so. "That's really interesting to see from you, Red." She said, uncapping the marker to add her own touches to Red's written statement. She did small feminine touches to the writing, such as small hearts over every "I" in the sentence. She then signed her name in script next to Red's, making sure to use a plus symbol in between their names. "That's better." She capped the marker and returned it to it's original position. "I wish I knew why you owe that much motivation to her." Leaf went on to say, staring at the board - glancing at Red every so often. She playfully bumped him in the side with her elbow. This was her attempt - in vain - to get Red to explain himself really.

Red would never break, however. He instead simply nodded towards her. He let his smile remain across his lips - a symbol to show Leaf that he was happy with her company without any verbal action whatsoever - much to Leaf's chagrin.

Leaf sighed, resting a hand upon her waist casually. "No words for me yet, huh?" She asked aloud with a smile. "Oh well… It's not important, I guess. We have better things to worry about. We have a badge to worry about." She said with confidence.

[Storm]

The sunlight hung high above the Route 3 Pokemon Center. The two teens stood at the base of the building, just outside the entrance of itself. Storm leaned against the wall of the building, removing her straw hat and holding it against her chest. She put it back on her head sloppily in order to stretch her arms out briefly, letting out a yawn. "That was a good battle, Blue." She said, crossing her arms. "Brock didn't stand a chance against you." She complimented, grinning at him.

Blue was knelt down on the ground, on one knee. He was looking through his backpack to make sure he was properly prepped for the trek to Cerulean City. His hand sifted around the bag recklessly - a common style for Blue. His newly-evolved Wartortle stood nearby, looking on at his trainer with slight concern, confused as to what exactly Blue was trying to do. Blue beamed happily at Storm's compliment, glad to have pleased her in some form. "It was nothing, really." He replied with a chuckle, standing up and rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

Storm rolled her eyes at Blue's high-strung comments on the gym battle. "Well, it's on to the next one then if that's the case. Misty won't be ready for you either, that's for sure." She replied with a slight laugh.

"Of course! I'll be champion before long at this rate." Blue exclaimed with glowing enthusiasm, slipping one strap of his bag back over his shoulder. "You helped me in the battle too, you know. I didn't know what to expect when Brock challenged us to a two-versus-one, since I never battled with you before. I know now that I had nothing to worry about." Blue smiled. "You can really battle, Storm. You don't seem that interested in getting badges for yourself, though…"

Storm raised her eyebrows in surprise at the notion. She knew it was true, although she did not expect that Blue would notice so soon - much less bring it to light. She did know it would be brought up eventually, but she remained unsure of how to answer exactly. "Were you wondering?" She questioned, only in order to buy time for developing an answer.

Blue shrugged, scratching his head slightly. He had noticed she was caught off guard by his comment, and felt apologetic for bringing it up now. "I don't know… I just figured that you were trying to go after a championship yourself, since I first met you near the Pokemon League… but you seem to be rooting for me to become champion instead."

Storm hesitated a few moments more, struggling to formulate a response. "I… don't know what I'm looking for. Not yet at least. I've been trying to do so many different things just to figure out what I really want to chase after, but I haven't figured it out yet. Traveling around Kanto with you will help me figure that out, hopefully."

Blue nodded, reassured by her answer. "Well, I hope you find what you're looking for by traveling together then. Traveling with you has been really fun so far, Storm."

"Oh, of course. I wouldn't have it any other way. Though… I do need to run some errands before we move ahead any further. All of them consist of using a PC from a Pokemon Center." She said, tapping the steel wall she leaned against. "So… maybe we can meet in Cerulean City? I don't want to slow you down." Storm suggested, cringing slightly - hoping Blue wouldn't take her departure too personal.

Blue nodded. "Oh yeah… um, sure. Whatever you need, Storm." He turned away and scratched his head, disheartening Storm by showing that he took it personal somewhat. Blue then gently patted the head of his Wartortle. "Come on, pal. We have another badge to get!" He shouted with confidence, his Wartortle sharing the enthusiasm. "See you around then, Storm." Blue added, giving a brief wave and a smile.

"See you soon!" Storm gave a tiny wave before making her way inside the Pokemon Center, stepping through the automatic glass door. The Center was bustling with noise from the variety of people there. A gray-bearded man was on the phone in the corner, blabbing about current events in the news. A woman in a green housedress conversed in casual conversation with the Nurse Joy at the counter. Above, the radio attached to the ceiling currently played the iconic Pokemon Center music, which remained exclusive to only Pokemon Centers around the world. Storm took the bustle as her opportunity to use the free PC in the corner. The free PC in the Pokemon Center was always a staple of comfort, with the big screen centered on a sturdy oak wood desk, paired with a well-padded and cushioned black rolling chair. Storm quickly logged on here. Her "errands" consisted of responding to the emails she had in her inbox. In her quest to find what she really wanted to do, she had sent letters of interest out to multiple companies; The Kanto Writer's Club, Vermillion Pokemon Club, Celadon Department Store, Cerulean Bike Shop, Lavender Tower, and even the juggernaut of a corporation in Silph added up to her inquiries. The variety of companies within her emails were a testament to her indecisiveness towards chasing goals. She didn't know what she wanted, so she'd try anything!

After reluctantly rescinding her interest with the companies in her Inbox, Storm finally rose from the comfortable cushioned chair. She turned, beginning to walk the way she came, directly towards the door - until a man stepped in her path, looming over her. "Don't go anywhere just yet, young lady…" The man spoke in a somewhat sinister tone, which twitched Storm's nerves alight. Storm looked to the surrounding individuals in the Center, though they still remained in unwavering conversations. The man donned casual wear - a plain white t-shirt that accompanied dull blue jeans. Although, the man's look was rather rugged - his clothes worn down into a gritty state, complemented by his shaggy black hair and short facial stubble. "I sell Magikarp around here - five hundred for one. You either buy one, or you face the consequences."

Storm crossed her arms, looking up at the man. Although she remained somewhat intimidated, she did her best not to show it. "Why are you trying to sell Magikarp to people? Those are not worth the money. I've even caught a few before - with my bare hands." She added, with a bit of a pout.

"Oh, is that right, little missy?" The man chuckled and cracked his knuckles a moment, casually shrugging Storm's comments off. "You don't scare me, kid."

"That's enough of that, scum." Another male voice stated aloud, emanating through the room. The Pokemon Center's interior was instantly alerted to the new arrival's presence. The newcomer was a rather tall man, clad in an armored uniform of a pearly blue color. Upon both of his shoulders, there sat a steel shoulder plate. The man's height seemed to be boosted more than it was naturally due to his boots, which shared the blue shade of his uniform. The height gave the newcomer more of a looming presence than the Magikarp man. A black strap holstered a device against his back - which Storm could barely make out from where she stood. Though the man wore armor reminiscent of riot police, his helmet was noticeably absent - revealing his looks. His black hair was cut short in militaristic style, with a prominent shaved stubble across his chin. "I told you to stand down from selling your useless wares to civilians in the past. This is your second warning. You know what will occur on the third."

The man who had attempted to intimidate Storm turned in place immediately, his eyebrows raised once he heard the armored man's voice - signaling he recognized it. "What? You again?" The man grit his teeth slightly. "What are you supposed to do anyway, huh? My line of work is better than the secretive nonsense you people carry out! Everyone has to watch their back around you folk!" He pestered the armored man.

The armored man shook his head, remaining firm. His serious facial expression showed no other emotion, with no change taking place. "That's an interesting warning coming from someone who dabbles in manipulation and subterfuge."

The statement from the armored man led the two men to share a stare-down of tension for a few moments. The air was dense during these moments, with the Pokemon Center remaining silent throughout it's duration. "Fine! I'll stop!" The Magikarp finally growled, storming out of the Pokemon Center, quickly hurrying past the armored man - with obvious fear of his presence as a whole. Upon this, the individuals within the Pokemon Center simply went back to what they were doing, with Storm calmly adjusting her straw hat.

The armored man walked over to Storm. "I hope everything is alright, civilian. I trust that is the case?" He questioned her, in his sharp - but professional, tone. His serious expression changed to one of stillness, a sense of professionalism that he wished not to change much, it seemed, from Storm's view.

Storm nodded in agreement - although the man's choice of words bothered her on a certain level. "Civilian?" She asked aloud in surprise, in a tone that showed she was offended. She placed her hands on her waist, looking up at the man.

"If an individual is not part of the NPF, they are deemed as a civilian unless noted otherwise by command." The armored man responded with no hesitation - recalling the fact as if he was reading directly from a rulebook.

Storm crossed her arms and grinned, somewhat humored by the man's professional tone. It was humorous how serious he was to her - how he seemed to memorize his rules and regulations on a whim. "Well, I could've handled myself, sir." She casually retorted. "What's the NPF, anyway? I never heard of them before."

The man sharply began to answer once again. "The National Peacekeeping Forces are an organization dedicated to protecting citizens around the world. We eliminate all threats that threaten the safety of the public as a whole." The man smiled somewhat, with a sense of honor flowing over him to speak of the NPF's intentions. "If being dubbed as a civilian is not a welcoming term for you, you are welcome to join us. Otherwise, I suggest you move along." The armored man stated.

Storm pondered a few moments at the proposition. Perhaps being part of a greater cause would steer her in the right direction when it came to figuring out what she wanted out of life. She remained curious about the NPF, though. "Alright, sir. Sounds interesting enough for me to sign up. Can I at least know what I should call you, sir?"

The armored man nodded. "My full name is classified by NPF protocol. I am known as Peacekeeper Daniels by my fellow NPF members, along with anyone morbidly curious enough to know. As a fellow member, you should know me by that term." He answered in his stoic tone. "Also, before we proceed further with your annexing into the NPF ranks, you should be familiar with our logo - in the likely case you meet another one of our members in the field." Daniels put his right shoulder forward slightly, the pointed to the NPF patch stitched upon his shoulder. The patch consisted of a Braviary's silhouette - with it's wings stretched wide - the feet and talons morphed together in a triangular shape that pointed downwards. The entire image was filled in with a gleaming silver shade. "This is our logo. A representation of freedom."

For the first time, Storm felt a sense of empowerment from the logo's presence alone. She felt inspired to work for this organization dedicated to the protection of common citizens - a cause she was willing to commit too. "It seems to represent that well." Storm said with a smile. "Where do I start?" Her enthusiasm had arisen, channeling into her voice.

Daniels smiled only slightly at Storm's enthusiasm, seemingly not wishing to show any form of glee himself. He went on with stating what he deemed important for the immediate situation, which Storm noticed as his primary directive. "Team Rocket has been spotted within the delves of Mt. Moon. We're required to eliminate them by orders of the NPF."

Storm shrugged. "I can handle that." She uttered with glowing confidence. "Lead the way, sir." She said with a nod, motioning to the Pokemon Center's sliding front door. She was ready to prove her worth in front of what seemed to be an important member of this top-notch organization.

"This way." Daniels replied. He returned the nod and began walking out of the Pokemon Center, with Storm following obediently behind. Now that his back was turned, Storm could look at the device on the back of Daniels. It looked to be a sort of launcher mechanism, which consisted of a long tube barrel - followed by a grip with a trigger towards the opposite end, where the inner working parts were. To launch what, though? Storm pondered this as she followed behind Daniels.

The two remained silent until they entered itself. Storm looked around the stone walls of the mountain's interior, surprised at how well it was carved out for those who entered. She paid special attention not to take the sights in too much, for she wished not to lag behind. "I've never been in a place like this before. How is the mountain so clear like this? I thought it'd be a simple set of tunnels."

Daniels didn't stop walking just yet - instead he answered while keeping his pace. "The walls of many caves and tunnels around the world resemble that of Kanto. Over the centuries, the everlasting greed for convenience and natural resources has driven human, along with Pokemon, to dig through mountains in order to create pathways to nearby towns or cities. Although they remain useful for citizens, they are a common hideout for the scum of the world. Much like Team Rocket." Daniels explained. "They must be lower in the tunnel system." Daniels added, leading Storm to a stairway that was carved out by the humans and Pokemon he referred to prior - albeit very long ago. "This way."

Storm was surprised to hear that Pokemon and humans alike were the originators of the cave system. She followed along, careful not to lag behind too much. "So… who is this Team Rocket group? I've heard about them before, but I don't know too much about them." She asked curiously.

"You read my mind." Daniels quipped. "I was going to inform you myself before we got down there. We have been tracking this group for a few months now, but we remain unsure of what they are capable of at the moment. They did not give any indication of a threat at first until recently. We learned via our spies that this group of misfits takes a liking to stealing Pokemon - which is why we must eliminate the members present here in ."

"They steal Pokemon? That's horrible… I can't imagine how I'd react if my Pokemon was stolen." Storm frowned, uttering the words in a low tone this time around, saddened by the fact. "Well, I suppose it's more of a reason to put a stop to them… right?" She said, hoping it was the more "NPF" thing to say.

"Agreed." Daniels briefly replied, happy with Storm's reply. He continued walking forward until they met a large clearing on the lower level, where two Rocket grunts stood with their backs turned to them. Daniels finally looked at Storm here, ceasing to walk farther. He put a finger over his lips, to which Storm nodded. The two proceeded to listen in on the grunt's banter before making their move.

The two grunts stood together looking at a boulder. They seemed to be observing the stone for any abnormalities. The male grunt on the left had spiky brown hair poking out from beneath his black cap. "Ah, man… I'm so bored! Why does the boss have to give us positions like this? Guarding rocks? Really?"

The other grunt, a female, had her black hair in a small ponytail that stuck out from beneath her cap. "Relax. It'll all come together eventually. When we get rid of the NPF like the boss wants, we'll be home free! They're working on something in Cerulean right now, actually."

The male grunt let out a sigh. "I'd rather be on that assignment! What's so special about these rocks?"

"Boss says that sometimes fossils can be excavated from them. We have to wait here for the fossil specialist to arrive. Hopefully soon." The female grunt replied.

Here, Daniels stepped forward confidently. "No one will arrive anytime soon, Rocket scum." Daniels boomed in a firm voice, the voice echoing through the cave clearing. As he said the words, he undid one of the pockets on the chest of his uniform. He removed a PokeBall in it's deactivated, miniature, state before pressing the button to maximize it.

The two grunts reacted in a panicked manner. "It's NPF, man! Take him down!" The male grunt shouted, both out of fear - and a willingness for some form of action after waiting for so long. The two grunts took position around twenty feet away from Daniels. Together, the two Grunts released a Rattata and Zubat - both Pokemon taking aggressive stances that resembled their trainers. "Peacekeep this, NPF!" The male grunt shouted aloud.

Storm took her place beside Daniels, taking a PokeBall out of her beige satchel - which sat comfortably by her waist. She had become rather used to the satchel, often forgetting she had it there until she was in battle. She released her Pikachu in front of her with confidence, empowered by the honor of the NPF. Daniels himself unhooked the tube device on his back - shoving his PokeBall down the tube. "Leaf Blade! For glory!" Daniels shouted aloud, firing the launcher into the air - towards the two grunts.

The PokeBall launched into the air, with a Gallade popping out of it. The Gallade, while in the air - lunged hard at the Rattata with the attack, knocking the small Pokemon backwards several feet - stunning both Rocket grunts. The male grunt instantly returned the fainted Rattata back to it's ball. The Gallade teleported back in front of Daniels with his PokeBall in hand, giving it back to it's trainer. "Finish them off, recruit!" Daniels shouted triumphantly to Storm.

"Yes, sir!" Storm smiled and began to do so. "Give them a Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" She ordered to her little electric Pokemon. The Pikachu yelped with glee, charging himself significantly before jumping into the air - zapping the miniscule Zubat down with a single bolt. The female Rocket grunt was forced to return it to it's ball. Pikachu landed back down in front of Storm, sharing her triumphant stance.

The grunts hesitated, exchanging looks of astonishment with one another. The male grunt gritted his teeth. "The boss is going to be so mad at us now! This isn't the last you've seen of us, NPF man!" He said before bolting off through the exit - the way Storm and Daniels arrived - with his fellow grunt.

Daniels and Storm both returned their Pokemon to their capsules. Storm looked up at Daniels, waiting for what he had to say about the situation. "So, recruit - that was your first taste of action as an NPF member. How does it feel?"

Storm hesitated a moment. She was surprised it went so smoothly. "I didn't think these Team Rocket people would be so easy to take down. Weren't our tactics… I don't know… kinda overkill?"

Daniels shook his head. "I understand what you mean. Consider this as a training segment. These seem to be lower-ranking members of their group. Regardless, you handled yourself very well. I would be glad to serve alongside you." Finally, Daniels used a full smile.

"It would be a pleasure to join you as well, Peacekeeper Daniels. Even though the battle was short - it was pretty exciting. Especially with that launcher thing you have there." She said, pointing to the strap now that Daniels had holstered it once again.

"A PokeBall Launcher is something we use to gain a one-up in battles. The opponent never expects an entrance quite like that." Daniels replied with a nod. "Now that you are a member of the NPF, you can obtain one of your own. We'll pick one up from our hideout in Cerulean." Daniels then paused a moment. "I don't think you ever stated your name, recruit."

"Storm." She replied with a smile. She was rather excited to move forward with her allegiance to the NPF - especially meeting some more members within Cerulean City. "It's good to meet you, Peacekeeper Daniels."

"Much obliged, Pathfinder Storm." Daniels nodded. "That name will intimidate our foes when they fear it. Very fitting for our cause."

Storm raised an eyebrow. "Pathfinder… so I'm not a recruit anymore?" She asked in surprise, happy for the progress.

Daniels gave another nod. "A Pathfinder is what we deem the newest members when they prove themselves to us - showing more worth than a normal recruit. Pathfinders are on the path to becoming a greater member of the NPF - excuse the pun." He said with a brief smile. "You show the potential to be a powerful member within the NPF. If I did not see that potential, I'd only dub you as a 'Certified Recruit' instead of Pathfinder. Now…" He thought a moment. "We must move on to Cerulean City. Surely, there are more Rocket members within the mountain - which we must keep a look out for on the way there. We could split up now if you would prefer to travel alone. Otherwise, we can go together."

Storm thought a moment. Traveling through for the first time on her own was an intriguing thought in terms of exploration - although she preferred the company of others. If she did not feel the need to take care of her "errands," she would have traveled through the mountain with Blue. "Let's go together." She finally answered after thinking it over.

"Roger that. To glory." Daniels triumphantly replied - enthusiastically sharing Storm's empowerment under the NPF.


End file.
